Klinewski named player of year

Matt Klinewski is tall and strong, with good skills for a basketball big man.

He can shoot with either hand close to the rim. He can knock down mid-range jumpers. He can hit his free throws.

But people hardly mention that stuff when they talk about the Eastern senior.

They focus on his work ethic.

His effort.

His passion.

"In all my years, he's the hardest-working kid I've ever been around," Eastern coach Joe Murphy said. "He came to the gym every single day and gave 100 percent. That's rare."

The 6-foot-8 Klinewski is The Inquirer's player of the year for South Jersey boys' basketball. He averaged 24.6 points and 10.7 rebounds and led Eastern to a 24-5 record and the Olympic Conference American Division title.

But it was Klinewski's approach to the game, more than his skill set or statistics, that set him apart.

"The hardest-working player in South Jersey," Rancocas Valley coach Jay Flanagan said of Klinewski. "He produced great numbers and was an excellent emotional leader."

Said Cherokee coach Matt Shultz: "Matt is an excellent player. His skills are magnified by the fact that he plays so hard every possession. He truly never takes a play off."

Klinewski said playing hard comes naturally to him. He said he has been inspired by his mother, who was known as Joyce Moffett as a star player at Cherry Hill West and Drexel, and his paternal twin aunts who were known as Mary and Cathy Klinewski during standout playing days at Gloucester Catholic, and Iona and South Florida, respectively.

"I was taught by my parents [Joyce and Mike] to give it your best effort in everything you do," Matt Klinewski said. "You always want to play every game like it's your last. You never want to feel like you didn't give it your best."

Murphy said Klinewski's work ethic worked wonders for the team.

"When you have a senior leader with the kind of attitude that Matt bring to the gym every day, it makes your job so much easier as a coach," Murphy said.

"Other players see how he works, and they all fall in line. Now, you don't have to coach effort - you can coach execution."

Klinewski said he was most proud of Eastern's team success this season. The Vikings probably exceeded outside expectations by winning 24 games, capturing the division title, and advancing to the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals.

"I think we proved a lot of people wrong," said Klinewski, who will attend Lafayette on a basketball scholarship. "We played together as a team, and I think we got better as the season went along."

Klinewski scored in double figures in every game except two. He scored 30 or more in eight games.

He had some of his strongest performances in some of the Vikings' biggest games. He scored 31 in a loss to Paul VI, 32 in a win over Camden, 29 in a loss to St. Augustine, and 27 in a victory over Rancocas Valley in the second round of the state tournament.

But those are just highlights. They don't tell the full story of a player whose day-in and day-out and play-in and play-out commitment was the true measure of his value.

"He has such a great will to win," Murphy said. "He has great passion. He never took a day off. He never took a play off."